"During the colonial time, Eritreans were recruited as soldiers in the fascist army. Though they spoke good Italian and were as good as the Italian soldiers they were never promoted beyond the lowest ranks (buntaz and shumbash). But Libyan soldiers serving in Eritrea then were considered whites and given officers’ ranks. …Other soldiers were disciplined by fines (mezzo baza) deducted from their salaries but Habesha soldiers were disciplined by flogging 25 to 50 times. … In all hotels and buses we Habeshas were not allowed to sit on seats designated for whites…. In some hotels we were served not with cups like white people but with empty tomato cans… “
In the same conference Ato Mehari Misgina, a veteran author and journalist related the following experience he had, as a young boy during the period of colonization:
One day, when I was walking from Godayf (in Asmara) with other schoolmates, I saw a group of Italian soldiers cheering around two military trucks. When we got closer, we saw one Habesha young man being tied to two trucks, one leg and arm to the sides of each truck. Then, amongst cheers of the soldiers, the trucks drove in opposite directions, and what we saw was a horrible scene that has stuck in my mind to this day. The soldiers cheered as the man’s body was torn apart".
Re: I do not understand the reason why Mereb Milash Tigrayans love their colonial masters!
So you want us to love you?… እከካም ተምች ሁላ…